Shannon Lee Meara Foundation | Woburn, MA 01801

Shannon's Story...

Shannon Lee Meara was a beautiful, kind and compassionate young woman. As a child, her infectious smile and golden curls drew attention wherever she went.

Shannon was a graduate of Woburn High School and attended Suffolk University. She was interested in various world cultures and was dedicated to furthering the cause of human rights. To pursue this goal, she had enrolled in classes to complete her law degree.

Shannon was never able to fulfill her goals. On January 18, 2008, she was murdered by a gunshot wound to the head by an ex-boyfriend. Her body was found in a dumpster two days later.

Shannon was only 24 years old at the time of her death and will be forever loved and missed by all who knew her.

A quote from Shannon, engraved on her headstone, is a message to us all: "Life’s too short. Take life one day at a time... tomorrow’s never promised".

In honor of Shannon’s compassionate spirit, and to help prevent such a tragedy happening to someone else, her family and friends created the Shannon Lee Meara Foundation to educate high school students about the dangers of dating and domestic violence.

Through fundraising efforts, the Foundation sponsors a dating and domestic violence program for high school students. The program funds classes taught by youth education specialists to promote healthy dating relationships. The Foundation also awards an annual scholarship to a high school graduate who has had a positive impact on dating and domestic violence issues.